1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flotation devices and, more particularly, to adjustably inflatable swimming devices for fitting over each of a user's hands and lower forearms to facilitate swimming or for physical conditioning or therapeutic use, and also to provide life-saving functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of air-filled bladders and the like to assist a person in floating or swimming has been known for many years. Inner tubes and inflatable rings are familiar objects at many beaches. There are also well-known devices to aid a person in propelling himself through water, in the form of fins with increased surface area over that provided by the hands and feet of the swimmer.
A specialized form of the above devices relates to a combination of both of these features and provides webbed finger stalls with an inflatable air flotation collar around the wrist area. Nevertheless, such known devices do not provide sufficient buoyancy to aid in flotation and the cumbersomeness of these combination devices have prevented their widespread use. There have also been known large inflatable cushion-like devices that are placed over the hands of the user, but these are so large as to inhibit, rather than facilitate, swimming.